Surprise! Love?
by antilogicgirl
Summary: Kiba and Shino shop for a birthday gift for Hinata. Kiba's choice of gifts drives a series of events that lead him into a sudden realization of emotions he never knew he had. Wonderful fluffy goodness!
1. Chapter 1

Monday

Kiba doubled over, coughing. When he caught his breath again, he stared up at Shino. "What the hell did you do that for, Shino?" The taller young man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. _What is his problem? He sure has been touchy today._ They were shopping for Hinata's birthday gifts. Kiba really wanted to find something special for her, since she was always willing to help him out. And he had just pointed at something that he thought she would really like, when Shino had punched him in the stomach. What the hell was the guy thinking?

The necklace sat on its stand behind the glass of the case. It was silver, with a long chain that had links of three different sizes. There was a pendant hanging from it that he thought was an opal, though he wasn't sure. It reminded him of her eyes. Shino cocked his head to one side behind the high collar of his coat, looking down at it. He turned to Kiba. "Do you really want to get her something like that? She might take it the wrong way and pass out." Kiba blinked in surprise. He had not been thinking about that. He had only been trying to find something he was sure she would like. When he told Shino this, the solemn young man's shoulders shook in silent laughter.

Normally, Kiba followed his teammate's advice. But he had never really liked being laughed at. So, grumbling, he paid for the necklace and had the clerk put it in a small box, wrap it up in shiny white paper and put a nice silver ribbon around it. He mumbled for Shino to continue his shopping by himself, and stuffed the box into his pocket, stalking away. "Arf!" Akamaru came trotting up to him, and jumped into his arms. The dog whined. "It's ok, Akamaru. I'm just a little mad at Shino. It's not like I'm trying to…" He blinked. _Oh._ Kiba's hand strayed to the squarish bulge in his coat pocket. That would be a problem, then, wouldn't it?

Walking through the light snowfall, Kiba kicked at chunks of it with the toes of his sandals. All the while, he thought. His relationship with Hinata was just him being protective of his teammate, no matter what Shino might think. Or was it? _Ga! Stop that, man! You really don't need to start thinking that way about Hinata. Neji will kick your ass!_ Just thinking about the older shinobi and the way he looked at him gave him the creeps. He always seemed like he was on point of smacking Kiba. Hard. The both of them were very protective of Hinata, and if anything, they should have been friends because of that. And it was for that reason he didn't understand what Neji's problem was.

Akamaru scrambled up into his jacket, clinging on behind his neck. Kiba pulled his hood further over his face. The wind was getting colder since the sun was about to set. Hurrying up the street to his house, the square package kept bumping against his leg. _I'm not going to start feeling guilty about doing something nice for Hinata._ That sounded way too much like something Shino would do, all because he was constantly thinking of the team, and how what he did with and for Kiba and Hinata would affect the "dynamics of the team." _Bullshit, Shino. You just don't wanna get too close to anybody. You might like it too much._ This made him snort in laughter, and Akamaru made an inquisitive whine behind him.

"Nothing, buddy. Nothing at all." He reassured his friend before doubling his pace. Running for a few minutes, he stopped thinking. Sometimes, it was just easier not to think at all. Then, he noticed how close he was to his house. He slowed to a light run, then to a trot. As he rounded the corner onto his street, he ran into something solid. "Oof!" He yelled in surprise as he knocked the solid thing to the ground.

Sitting there in the snow, glaring up at him, was Ino. "Gomen, Ino-chan!" He was just about to keep on moving toward his house when she grabbed the leg of his pants. "What is it, Ino-chan?" The girl raised an eyebrow, and he realized that he was being _really _rude. "Ah…" He reached down and grabbed her hand, hauling her up off of the ground. Instantly, the girl was all smiles. His eyes narrowed. _What's going on?_

"Kiba-kun…just the man I wanted to see." Ino crossed her arms under her breasts and smirked. Kiba didn't like the look of this, and he glanced around for an escape route. Akamaru's small whimper next to his ear told him that she was up to something, alright. "You know what Thursday is?"

This took him by surprise. "Uh, the twenty-seventh?"

Ino's smirk grew. "Exactly. And what is the significance of that date?"

Finally, he caught on. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. He thought she was really going to do something evil to him. "Um, it's Hinata-chan's birthday."

"Very, good. A smart boy, just as I thought. So, I was wondering. Did you get Hinata anything yet?" He nodded. She smiled. "Good. I was just on my way to find you and Shino, since I know you'd want to be in on the surprise party." She looked around, suddenly alarmed. "Um, can we go inside? I don't want anyone to hear me plotting." Kiba blinked, his surprise showing all over his face. He was also trying not to laugh at her paranoia. He nodded, sighing, and led her over to his house.

"So where are we supposed to have this party, anyway?" He asked, munching on potato chips. Ino sat on the couch, her legs crossed, leaning on the arm of the couch. She pursed her lips.

"Well, I was wondering that myself. I thought we could have it at my house, but I was going to get a few more people before I made any real decisions. My parents are fine with it, and have offered to buy all of the supplies, even though Chouji will definitely be coming, and they know how much he eats…But anyway. I was wondering, Kiba, if you would be the one to lure her to my house for the party." Ino's sly look did not escape him.

_What the hell? Everyone is going nuts. Me included._ "Ino, how am I supposed to do that?" He shook his bag of chips at her, and talked with his mouth full. It came out more like, "M-no, ow m'I pose ta do 'at?" Ino glared at him, and he swallowed his food. He repeated himself so that she could understand, and then she laughed.

"Kiba, you're a smart guy. You should be able to think of something. Why not ask Shino? Maybe he can help?"

"Hell no. I'm not talking to that jerk right now." Kiba fumed silently over the fact that Shino had punched him for no real reason other than to get his attention. It was something that Naruto would do, not Shino. _Yep. Everybody's nuts lately._ "You gotta help me think of something if you're gonna volunteer me for this, Ino-chan."

The blond kunoichi sat and was obviously in deep thought for some time. Then, a wide smile spread across her features. "You could say that it's a date!"

Kiba's jaw dropped, and hung open for a good thirty seconds. _A date? But that would mean that I would have to pretend to be interested in her…_Just then, a small voice in the back of his head said in a very sly tone, **_who said anything about pretending, baka? You got her that present, against your and Shino's better judgment, all because you thought she'd like it, and because it reminded you of her eyes!_** _Shut up. I can't think of her that way. I just can't. _The part about the present was true, but really, did he have to ask her on a date? "Ino-chan, I'm not sure that it's a good idea. Wouldn't that be messing with Hinata's emotions?" Kiba was fighting a blush after that mental conversation with himself. "I mean, you know how sensitive she is…"

Ino nodded, thinking. "Well, unless you come up with a better idea, Kiba, dear, we'll just have to go with that." He really wished he hadn't let her in his house. She was still grinning slyly at him. What was she up to? She must really like watching him squirm.

"I swear, Ino, if this ends up hurting Hinata in any way, I'm coming after you, and I'm not gonna hold back."

Her grin faltered for only a fraction of a second, at his tone. An instant later, however, it was back. "Why, Kiba-kun, I don't know what you mean! What's this protectiveness for? Or, maybe it's not protective…is it _possessive?_" His hackles started to rise, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Ino held her hands up in a defensive gesture. "Wow. You really can't take a joke today, can you, Kiba?" Slowly, he began to calm down. Why did she always have to push his buttons like that? It was really annoying. Maybe that's why Shikamaru just pretended not to hear her most of the time. Getting frustrated with her only egged her on, it seemed.

"Who else have you recruited into this plot of yours?" He asked curtly.

"Well, so far, it's me, you, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, but only because Naruto made him. Really, what is that guy's problem?" Ino's preference for Sasuke seemed to have evaporated suddenly one day, though it was not entirely unexplained. It was because that idiot had run off that her teammates had to go after him, and it was because of him that Chouji had nearly died. She and Chouji trained constantly now, and Shikamaru was having trouble keeping up. Chouji's girth had shrunk considerably, though Ino started to worry about him if he got _too_ thin. Kiba would never understand women, especially not Ino.

"What about Neji and Tenten and Lee?"

"Well, I haven't really gotten to them, yet. They were my next stops. Also, I was wondering if you could talk to Kurenai-sensei for me. She loves Hinata like she's her daughter. Could you invite her for me?" Ino's voice had taken on a strange tone, and he saw that she was thinking, looking inward. She rose and started for the door. "I have to go now, Kiba. I'll talk to you about this tomorrow. Meet me at noon, at the bridge?" He nodded. She walked out, closing the door softly behind her.

_Boy, is that a weird woman._ He sighed. He was being forced to ask Hinata on a fake date, and that bothered him. It wasn't just that she was his teammate and he didn't want her to get hurt, but there was something in him that wanted her to be happy, and he didn't see this making her happy at all. _Wait a minute! She said Naruto was already in on it, so why didn't she ask _him_? Oh, Ino, you're gonna pay for this!_ He growled in his throat again, and Akamaru jumped out of his coat, and sat there looking up at him. The dog had his head cocked to one side, as if to ask, "Are you ok?"

He sighed and nodded to Akamaru. "I'll be fine, buddy. Just as soon as this is all over." Kiba reached into his pocket and pulled out the present he had gotten for Hinata. _This sucks._ As he looked it over, he wondered how he was going to pull off asking Hinata out on a date without sounding like a total idiot. He also wondered how he was not going to get his face pounded by Neji. Again, he thought of the situation he was in, and said aloud, "Akamaru, my friend, this whole thing sucks." The dog let out a loud "Arf!" of agreement.


	2. Snow

**A/N: **I just wanted to say that yes, Kiba is OOC, but it doesn't matter. He's too cute.

**Legal Stuffiness:** No, I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did. There (glares at evil men in suits). Happy now?

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Chapter 2: Snow

Tuesday

By the time he saw Shino the next day, he had sufficiently cooled off enough so that he could talk to him without wanting to rip his throat out. "So what did you get her?" He asked dully, still trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say to Hinata later on.

"A sweater."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Ok. What color is it?"

"White."

It was just the sort of thing he would do. The insect-controlling shinobi never did _anything_ that could possibly be seen as an inappropriate gesture. A sweater was just friendly enough, but not too friendly. And Kiba had bought her jewelry. He wanted to kick himself. "So, Ino-chan talked to you about the surprise party yet?" Shino nodded. "Did she tell you what my job is?" Shino nodded. Kiba withered. "What the hell am I gonna do, Shino? If I go through with this, Hinata's gonna hate me."

Behind his coat collar, Shino stifled a laugh. "Kiba, can you actually say that with a straight face? I don't think that Hinata actually _hates_ anyone. And it's beyond my comprehension that she could ever hate _you_. Just be careful what you say to her, ok?" Shino sat on a log at the edge of the training ground. Kiba was still not sure about this. He really didn't know how to ask a girl on a date, anyway. It had just never really occurred to him to do so. Until he had been put up to it by Ino. But, now that he was being made to do it, the idea of an actual date with Hinata wasn't exactly a bad one.

_Stop it! Do you _want_ Neji to use his not so Gentle Fist technique and kick your ass?_ Then the little voice in back of his head started laughing. **_Too late now, dumbass. You got yourself into this, now you're gonna have to just go with the flow._** His shoulders slumped. In a despairing tone, he said, "I'm dead meat, Shino." The other shinobi looked up at him from his seat. "Neji's gonna beat the crap out of me."

"I can think of worse reasons to die." Kiba thought that he could detect a note of repressed glee in Shino's voice. He wanted to smack him.

"Shut up, Shino. If you're not going to be of any help, I'm going to make an ass of myself now. Ja." Kiba stomped off through the snow. He knew he had to ask Hinata a couple of days in advance, so that she could clear it with her father. He might actually have to speak to Hiashi before he asked Hinata. In that case, he could explain things to him first. _Yeah! That's it!_ He breathed a sigh of relief as he neared the Hyuuga compound. Hiashi-sama was a reasonable man, and Kiba was sure that he wouldn't mind this little charade if it was for a good cause.

It was his misfortune to come upon Hinata first. _Gotta do what I gotta do…_

"Oi, Hinata-chan!" He waved at her, and she waved back in her shy way. He ran over to her, and smiled. "You busy?" She shook her head. He gestured to the street ahead of them, "Walk with me?" Hinata's smile was small and hesitant, and she partially covered her mouth with her gloved hand. _Why does she always do that?_ They walked silently for a time, Kiba's palms sweating in his pockets, and Hinata hugging herself in the cold. He was thinking of what to say. There really was nothing that was coming to mind, but he _had_ to think of _something_. Then, he looked over at her, and saw that she was only wearing a light jacket. _She must be freezing! _His eyes widened, suddenly worried.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I should have let you get a coat." He unzipped his jacket and took it off. After he hung the coat over her shoulders, he smiled in spite of the chill in the air. It was cold, but he would rather be sick than her. _Oh, man, where did that come from? You're losing it, Kiba._

"Anou, it's alright, Kiba-kun. I'll be fine." She started to take the jacket off.

"Keep it on, Hinata-chan. I don't want you to get sick." They had stopped in the middle of the street. Hinata's face took on a slight pink tinge, and Kiba's did the same. Both of them looked away from one another. What was that odd feeling in his stomach? He watched as Hinata's arms slipped into the sleeves of the coat. Her hands didn't reach the ends of the sleeves. He wasn't sure why, but he found it funny. Kiba's shoulders began to shake as he started to laugh.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, trying to figure out why was funny.

"Nothing, Hinata." He paused, and then decided to tell her, just to see what she thought. "Acutally, I was just thinking how small you are. My coat is really big on you." Hinata looked down at herself. The coat reached her knees, and there was a good five inches of sleeve before her fingertips. He watched as she wiggled inside the coat, and the sleeves started to bunch up. Soon her gloved hands appeared at the ends of the sleeves. She waggled her fingers at him, a silly expression on her face. It made him laugh again. "That's pretty funny, Hinata."

After laughing for another few moments, during which Hinata's quiet, polite laugh had joined his, he fell silent again, and they walked on. They eventually found themselves in front of the Konoha Ninja Academy. There was a set of swings there for the little kids. Hinata seemed seized by an impulse, and ran for the swings. She sat on the one farthest to the left, and started to swing. Kiba watched her for a few moments, and couldn't help but smile. Wearing his coat, she seemed very much like a little girl, but when he really looked at her face, he saw the young woman that she had become. He suddenly felt the need to look away from her, something more than the cold making his cheeks sting.

He walked to the swings and leaned against the frame. Watching her swing for a few more minutes, with her hair fluttering around her face, and the mid-morning sun shining on her skin, he was now having a hard time looking away. _She's…beautiful. _His skin was starting to get goose bumps, but he didn't notice. He walked through ankle-deep snow, stopping behind Hinata. He started to push the kunoichi, and she swung higher into the air. Kiba's hands pushed at the small of Hinata's back, and she soared even higher. Now she was making small delighted noises, the way a small child would. One more hard push, and he ran to the front of the swings, just to see what she looked like.

To his surprise, as Hinata swung out, she let go of the chains on the swing, and flew through the air at him. His eyes widened, and he caught her just before she would have flattened him to the ground. A sudden realization came to him. _Did she do that on purpose?_ If so, he thought that Hinata must have a sneaky and mischievous side that had escaped his notice before. She wiggled her fingers at him again, that same silly look on her face, and he burst into laughter again. He fell onto the ground, unable to contain himself. After he regained his breath, he saw Hinata standing over him, a smile on her face, but no hand covering it up.

He spoke without thinking. "Hinata, why do you always cover your mouth when you smile?" Her eyes widened, and her hand went up to her mouth. She seemed startled by his question. Pushing himself to his feet, he gently pulled her hand away from her mouth. "Your smile is nice, Hinata. You shouldn't cover it up." Hinata's startled expression turned to one of slight embarrassment, and she blushed, looking away.

The little voice in the back of his mind was cackling in laughter now. He mentally shut it in a small, dark cupboard and locked it in. That should teach it. Now, he could think. But he didn't, really. He just cocked his head slightly to the left, and asked, "Hinata, what are you doing Thursday night?"

She seemed, once again, surprised by his question. After blinking a few times, Hinata said, "Anou…nothing. I have my birthday celebration during the day, but at night, there shouldn't be anything that requires my presence." She looked at him curiously, an expectant expression in her pearly eyes.

"Would you like to come out with me, then? I mean, if you're not too tired from your birthday stuff." Kiba blinked. That had been surprisingly easy to say. Maybe it was because they had been laughing.

She looked at him for a moment, not quite as startled as he thought she would be, but more pensive than anything else. Her hand rose to her mouth, hiding a smile. Then she saw him looking at her, and jerked her hand away quickly. Hinata's smile was nervous, but she said, "Hai." He blinked in surprise. Kiba had half expected her to tell him no. A small knot of tension in his stomach seemed to release. He smiled, glad that it had gone so smoothly. Now, he just had to make sure that Ino's little scheme didn't backfire and hurt Hinata.

"Well, let me walk you home then…" He said in a bemused way. The strange feeling had come back to his stomach, but it didn't seem quite so unpleasant now. She nodded, and fell in beside him, and the silence stretched between them. He was not uncomfortable, and neither did she seem to be.

* * *

Kiba's face was strange. He had just asked her on a _date?_ Hinata's eyes kept trying to look at him where he walked beside her. She had to try very hard not to use her _Byakugan_ just so that she could see his face. He seemed as if he was thinking, though about what, she could not guess. The silence between them was a comfortable one, even though she was not used to Kiba being so quiet.

Why had she said yes? She knew what Shino would say. _"Hinata, you shouldn't do such things. It will create strain on the team…"_ Shino was a very different kind of person from she and Kiba, though. As she stole another glance at him from the corner of her eye, she took in his appearance. He was taller than she was by at least a head, with _very_ messy short brown hair, as well as strange eyes that reminded her of Akamaru's. He had those red tattoos on his face, almost fang-shaped. He did have fangs, as well, but those never really showed unless he smiled or was really angry. She thought that he must be very cold. He had only his net shirt and the segmented body armor that he always wore.

When they got to her house, she wriggled out of his coat, and handed it back to him. She hoped that he did not get sick because he had tried to be a gentleman. That almost made her laugh. _Kiba, being a gentleman. Strange, but it does sort of fit._ "Arigato, Kiba-kun." She said, blushing. Hinata did manage to look at him long enough to see that he seemed to have a slight pink hue to his cheeks as well.

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow for training, Hinata-chan. What time should I come by on Thurdsay?" His mention of their date made her blush again, this time much more fiercely. She was having trouble getting used to the idea of going on a date with Kiba.

"I'll let you know. I still have to tell my father." She saw his eyes widen at that. "Oh, don't worry. He'll be fine with it, since he knows you." She tried to reassure him, but he swallowed audibly. Then, she smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way, and Kiba's anxiety seemed to melt into a very goofy expression, and he rubbed the back of his neck while stuttering his farewell.

* * *

Kiba lay in his bed on that night, thinking things over. The more he thought about it, though, the more he wished that Ino wasn't having that stupid party. That way, Hinata would have no chance of being hurt. As it was at the moment, she stood to get very hurt, indeed. They had both had a good time today, of that he was certain. He remembered Hinata flying through the air at him. Her eyes had been closed. Somehow, she had known he would catch her. That was how much she trusted him.

Sitting up, he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. "Shit." He ran his fingers through his hair. Why did he have to feel like this? _It's Hinata. Little Hinata. _But it wasn't just little Hinata anymore, was it? She had grown up, just as he had. She was very different from all of the idiot girls he had grown up with, too. She was graceful, quiet, kind, and as he had discovered today, funny when she wanted to be. Hinata was also very strong. How else had she been able to maintain enough courage to fight her cousin, whom she was so obviously terrified of?

He looked across the room at his small table. In the middle of it, sat Hinata's present. It was very like her: small, bright, and so obviously unlike anything around it. His eyes strayed to the pictures on the table. There were two frames. One held a photo of Kurenai-sensei and their team. The other had two photographs in it. There was one of him being chased by Shino and a cloud of destruction bugs, since he had taken Shino's sunglasses. He snorted. _That was kinda fun…_The picture beneath that one had him and Hinata in it. His eyes latched onto this image, unable to look away from it. They were only genin, twelve years old. There was a big, goofy grin on his face, and his arm was flung across Hinata's shoulders. She was looking up at him with a strange expression on her face. It wasn't just that she was surprised that he had put his arm there, but there was the slightest hint of a blush on her face.

He wondered how she thought of him. Was he the protective brother to her? Was he the idiot like Naruto was to Sakura? _No. Hinata would never think I'm an idiot._ That assertion was something he was very sure of. He knew that she didn't think he was an idiot. But what was he to her? That would be a good topic of conversation for a later time.

For a long time, he was unable to sleep.

* * *

Hinata lay in bed, staring at the pictures on her wall. She saw the ones from when she and Kiba and Shino first began to work together as a team. Shino always seemed to be off to one side, while Kiba was in the center of attention. He was loud, and at first his behavior had frightened her. She was so used to the quiet of the Hyuuga compound and her own quiet thoughts that someone so open and free with their thoughts and actions was rather unnerving. Now, it was not a problem at all to be around Kiba. In fact, one of her favorite pictures on the wall was of she and Kiba.

She had sprained her ankle on a mission, and Kiba had carried her all the way back to Konoha. Kurenai-sensei had taken the picture of Kiba grinning deliriously with her on his back, while Shino had been protesting, saying that he should rest. Shino had offered to take her on his back, but Kiba had growled at him, his protective side getting a little carried away. That was why she always felt so safe around Kiba. He was always protecting her, but he did know how to let her fight for herself.

As she looked away from the picture, she thought of her talk with her father. He had not really cared that she was going out on Thursday, so long as she fulfilled her obligations at her birthday celebration before she did. Neji had been in the room when she talked to him, though, and his eyes had narrowed in suspicion. He had become far too protective of her lately. It was like she had two Kibas, but Neji's protectiveness was much more aggressive. He would argue with Hinata at times, telling her that he did not trust her teammates, and that sooner or later, one of them would do something to hurt her. He was really paranoid. Kiba and Shino would never do anything to hurt her.

_Especially not Kiba…_Hinata closed her eyes, and sleep took her slowly, all the while, she thought of how Kiba had pushed her on the swing, just like he had when they were in the Ninja Academy as little kids. He probably didn't remember that, though. Her thoughts turned more hazy, and then turned into dreams, which she could not remember in the morning, but had a vague feeling that they had been pleasant.

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**A/N: **So, how's it going? Like? Hate? Input! Press the little button. You know you want to... 


	3. Encounters

**A/N:** Thank you guys for reviewing! To the **Baffled Insomniac**, you've hit the nail right on the head, my dear. So, sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy the wonderful fluffy goodness.

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Chapter 3: Encounters

Wednesday

After training was through, Hinata had gone home, and Kiba and Shino went over to Ino's house. Ino, in top form, was basically giving orders to everyone. "Chouji, can you bring music?" He nodded. Ino and Sakura were going to decorate. Kiba's only job was deception, for which he was very disturbed, but Ino brushed it off. Sasuke and Naruto, as well as Shino and Shikamaru, were going to be helping Ino's parents with the supplies. Ino found out from Tenten, who was getting over the flu, that Lee and Neji were going to be going on a mission with Gai-sensei, and she hadn't even asked them. Kurenai-sensei may or may not be able to make it, depending on what was happening with her that day. Kiba sat on the couch blinking, staring off into space.

Earlier, Neji had found him, just after Shino had gone off to get lunch.

_"I heard Hinata-sama telling Hiashi-sama that you asked her on a date, Kiba." Neji's eyes were narrowed to small slits._

"_Neji, I…"_

_The Hyuuga had drawn a kunai from his pouch then, and moved faster than Kiba could see, laying the blade against his throat. The white eyes of the Hyuuga stared into his, and he tried to blink, but found that he was transfixed. "If you hurt Hinata-sama, I'll make you wish you'd never been born, Inuzuka. Got it?" Kiba had tried to nod, but felt the kunai's point much more than he would have liked._

"_Hai, Neji-san. I got it."_

Ino stood in front of Kiba. Waving a hand in front of his face, she said, "Hey, Kiba, snap out of it! Are you ok?"

He suddenly came out of his trance. "Ino, Neji's gonna kill me. He said that if I hurt Hinata, he'd make me wish I were never born. He thinks it's for real."

Ino laughed. "Hinata's not going to get hurt, Kiba. It's a party. How could she get hurt?" _Easier than you think, Ino-pig._ He hated this. He wanted to go to Hinata's house right then and just tell her everything. The little voice in back of his head piped up again. **_But then again, she's not the only one you're fooling, is she?_** Neji was having the wool pulled over his eyes, too, but the person who was suffering more than anyone at the moment was Kiba. He was sure that Hinata was going to be hurt in some way, but he did not want to be the one to cause that hurt.

"I gotta get outta here," he growled, standing up. Ino moved to stop him, but the glare that he shot at her made her think twice. "My job is simple. It's not like I have too much to do. Later, Ino." He nodded to the rest of them and left. He wandered through the streets, not really having a destination. He ended up on the training grounds. As he arrived, he saw that he was not the only one there. Masking his chakra, he hid behind a tree.

His keen nose sniffed out Hinata's mellow scent right away. Kiba closed his eyes for a moment. She smelled like lavender. Hinata was standing in the middle of the training area, her arms at her sides, and she looked at the ground. _What is she doing here?_ He wondered, but then his question was answered. She suddenly flowed into a series of katas that were at once sharp and smooth in their movements. Kiba was once again struck by how graceful she was. He leaned against the tree, watching. When she was finished, she began to talk to herself.

"Kiba is very nice. But why did he…? I don't understand it myself, not even why I said yes. It's even a little funny when he tries to be gentlemanly and proper, but it's also something that seems very right." Hinata sighed. Kiba felt his cheeks grow hot. He was _not_ supposed to be hearing this. "He is very nice, yes. I…I like him. But should I tell him that?" Kiba's eyes grew wide. He turned from the scene, and sank to the ground, holding his head in his hands. _This is way too much. Hinata likes me? That's good, I guess, since I kinda figured out that I like her too. Gah! How do I fix this mess?_

As far as he was concerned, Ino could take the party and shove it. He didn't want to hurt Hinata by making her think that the only reason he had asked her on a date was that he had to get her to the party. _But that was true at first, wasn't it?_ "Shit." _I have to tell her something, somehow._ Rising from the ground, he turned east to walk to his house.

"Kiba-kun?" He heard from the distant spot where Hinata stood. She had seen him? That was not good. He turned back to face her, and saw her walking toward him. Hinata stopped directly in front of him. The sun was setting, and the light was slightly pink, so that it hid the flush on his cheeks. Her eyes glinted pink in the light, and made her seem very unearthly. "Are you alright, Kiba-kun?" Her hands moved to his head, pushing back his coat hood, removing his forehead protector. She felt his forehead, and seemed satisfied that he was not ill. After replacing his forehead protector and hood, she looked at him curiously. "Why are you here, Kiba-kun?"

"I, uh…was walking, and I come here sometimes, so…" He was almost stuttering.

"Did you hear me?" Her eyes were not narrowed in suspicion as one might think they should be when asking such a question. Hinata looked up at him with that expectant curiosity she had shown before. He nodded. A small smile crossed her lips. "I guess there's no need for me to tell you, then." She then reached up, took hold of his jacket collar, and pulled him down toward her, kissing his cheek.

He blinked in surprise. That was unexpected. Now, he only felt worse. That didn't stop him letting that goofy grin form on his face, though. Hinata laughed at him. "Would you walk me home again, Kiba-kun?" He nodded. As they walked, he felt her small fingers take hold of his. His insides turned into a puddle of goop, and if it was possible, his smile became even goofier. They walked in silence, and were soon at Hinata's door. She stepped up onto the porch, and then seemed to remember something.

"Seven o'clock, ok?" She said in a quiet way that nevertheless sent a slight shiver through him. He nodded dumbly. Suddenly, she waggled her fingers at him, making her silly face. He stifled his laugh, holding his sides. He leaned on one of the pillars on the porch for support. He looked up, noticing how very close to him she was. He swallowed, hearing a gulping noise as he did so. The sun had gone down, and in the half-light, her eyes seemed to glow. It was just his imagination, he was sure.

Once again, not thinking, his hand moved on its own, one finger tracing her brow, and then he let his palm rest on her cheek. This did not seem to startle her at all. Kiba bridged the short distance between them and kissed her lightly. This did seem to surprise her a little, but not for long. After the short duration of the kiss, she pulled away from him and smiled at him. Yet again, his insides turned to mush. She just seemed to have that effect on him.

"Seven o'clock." Kiba said, straightening from his leaning position against the pillar. "Until tomorrow, Hinata-hime.1" He gave a small wave, and started up the street again, tripping once or twice. He was really going to have to figure out a way to straighten up this mess. He had just been _kissing_ Hinata, and he had enjoyed it, thank you very much. But he didn't want Ino's scheme to mess things up. He needed to talk to that pig before the party.

* * *

**A/N:** Hinata-hime: "Princess" Hinata. A pet name Kiba thought up on the spot. For a guy who never thought to ask a girl out before, he's pretty slick. And all of that without really thinking! 

Sorry for it being so short. I just decided to divide it up by the days of the week, and it just so happened that not a lot happened on Wednesday. Don't worry, Chapter 4 will be much longer, and oh so very cute!


	4. Ino's Gift

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing. I just love how people like fluff. And the fact that they like _my_ fluff is even better. Now, this is the last chapter, so I made it nice and long, with lots of Kiba and Hinata. Enjoy, and please review. I'll be eternally grateful. Thanks, and have a great Thanksgiving.

* * *

Chapter 4: Ino's gift…a mastermind at work.

Thursday

"Ino, I gotta talk to you." Kiba grabbed her arm and hauled her roughly from her seat. She had been sitting on the edge of the bridge with Chouji, a self-satisfied smile on her face, no doubt happy that her plans for the party were going so well. She wrenched her arm away from him, glaring.

"Itai! Kiba, that hurts!"

"Just come with me, ok?" He growled. He was in no mood to put up with her complaints. She followed him over to the edge of the trees. He pointed at a flat rock, and motioned that she should sit.

"What's your problem, Kiba-kun?" Her voice was dripping with honey. He had a sneaking suspicion that she knew exactly what was wrong with him, since it was the same thing that had been bothering him all week.

His glare only intensified as she sat down. "I'll be bringing Hinata to your house around seven fifteen tonight Ino." The girl smiled broadly. She opened her mouth to say something but he held up a finger, he was not finished. "But I want to make one thing clear. Hinata and I _will_ be on a date, and I'll be accompanying her to her party. That way, there's no real deception." Ino's smile widened, if it could be possible. "What?"

"I was waiting for this to happen, Kiba. Oh, it's just so cute!" The girl jumped up and down, clapping.

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Ino." Kiba muttered to himself as she walked back to Chouji. _Same old Ino. She never really can keep her nose out of other people's business._ He sighed, thinking about the evening before. He had kissed her. Kissed _Hinata._ That odd feeling in his stomach was back again, and he looked around for Akamaru, who had taken to disappearing lately. _Can't really blame him. I've been in a foul mood all week over this party crap. _He sighed again, trudging back to his house to get ready for the evening's festivities. His thoughts kept straying to things he knew he should not be thinking of.

_Snap out of it, Kiba_ he growled at himself in his head. He was half a step away from calling the whole thing off, but thought better of it. Hinata would be disappointed, and he couldn't have that. So, he went to his sister, and took a deep breath before speaking. "Uh, onehsan? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Kiba. What is it?"

"I uh, kinda have a date tonight. I was wondering…what should I wear?"

His sister's eyes widened, and her eyebrows shot up. "Where will you be going?"

"To a party."

"Then wear your good winter kimono." His sister was now looking at him in a very Ino-like way, and he didn't like it. "It looks very nice on you, Kiba. And you might want to leave that forehead protector at home."

"Why? I like it." He thought then, after all, it might look silly if he wore it while he was in a kimono, and he decided to follow her advice. Kiba shrugged.

The sly look on his sister's face did not go away. "So who is the lucky girl that you asked?"

"H-Hinata-chan."

His sister then began to laugh. She threw back her head, holding her sides, and stomping her feet on the floor. He growled in his throat, and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, she stopped laughing. "Kiba—"

"Onehsan, you just don't understand." He did not turn around. If he had, he would have seen his sister's face, and the apologetic look that it held. Kiba closed the door to his sister's room.

When he got to his room, he sat for a while, staring at the picture of Hinata and himself. He laughed at himself. Others had seen it before he had? It was beyond him how he was the last person to know how he felt about Hinata. Shino had known, as well as Ino, and his sister. _Who else knows?_ He thought miserably over this for a moment, but then remembered his thoughts from a few days ago, when he told himself he wasn't going to feel guilty over being nice to Hinata. Then it occurred to him why Shino had punched him in the first place. He smiled broadly, shaking his head. "Meddling bastard, Shino." Now that he thought about it, Shino never had done anything like that before, so he wondered why he had done it at all.

Shoving thoughts like this aside, Kiba grabbed his bathrobe and went to the bathroom. He found Akamaru sleeping on the bathroom rug. "So this is where you've been, Akamaru. You lazy bum, you. Get up, boy." The dog got up, stretching. He looked up at Kiba. "I'm fine now, Akamaru. Don't worry. Now, I gotta take a shower. Want one too?" The dog ran from the room, since he didn't like the shower. Kiba laughed. It was fun to pick on the dog sometimes.

He glanced at his watch. "Five thirty! Oh, man, I better hurry." He tore off his clothes and jumped into the shower. After being out in the snow for most of the day, the hot water felt good. He stood under it for a long time, it seemed, and then got the shampoo bottle from the rack on the door. His thoughts turned to the previous night once again, and he started to think those things he shouldn't. He thought of how nice it had been to be so close to Hinata, and how soft her hand had been when she held his. He thought of how he had kissed her. This made him blush, even though he was alone. By the time he rinsed his hair of all of the shampoo lather, he was in quite a state, still thinking of Hinata and how nice she smelled.

He now glanced at his watch again. It was six o'clock. He had just enough time to get ready and rush over to the Hyuuga compound to get Hinata at seven.

--

Hinata sat nervously combing her hair. Her little sister Hanabi sat on her bed looking over at her and giggling. "Oneh-sama, you're so nervous! Are you worried about your date?" Hinata blushed furiously, but nodded. "It's ok, but what will you wear?" The elder sister pointed at the other chair in the room. Over the back of the chair, a snowy white kimono was draped. It was made of a thick silk, and had silver snowflakes embroidered on the collar and sleeves. "Oh, it's so pretty!" Hanabi smiled at her older sister. "You'll be very pretty tonight, oneh-sama. Oh, I didn't give you your birthday present yet!"

The girl ran from the room and came back quickly with a box wrapped in icy-blue paper. Hinata smiled and thanked her sister, taking the package with a small bow. When she unwrapped the paper and opened the box, she found within an obi, relatively narrow, and the same color as the paper. "Arigato, Hanabi. It's beautiful. I'll wear it tonight." She hugged her sister, and the girl retreated from the room. Hinata smiled after her.

_I wonder if Kiba will like it,_ she thought as she held up the cloth to the light. It was really beautiful, and she hoped that he would. She glanced at the clock. It was a quarter to seven. _Oh, no! I don't want to make him wait!_ She dressed as quickly as she could, and was waiting for him on the front porch by five minutes to seven.

* * *

Kiba walked quickly through the street, feeling a little uncomfortable in his kimono. He was much more used to wearing his shinobi clothes. The dark brown wool matched his hair almost perfectly, and he wore a dark red obi belted around his waist. The cloth was a little scratchy where the underkimono did not reach down to his wrists, but he could deal with it. As he walked, he hefted Hinata's gift in his hands. It felt empty. Then, he looked down at the top of the small box, and saw the note that he had stuck under he ribbon. It had taken a lot of courage to write it.

The moment he turned the corner to the Hyuuga compound, he saw Hinata. She stood on the porch of the main house, leaning against one of the pillars. Dressed all in white, with her hands in her sleeves against the cold, she regarded him silently as he walked toward her. He slipped her gift behind his back. With the other hand, he waved, grinning. When he reached the porch, he bowed formally, which was very odd to him, but he felt like it was kind of necessary. Hinata bowed back, smiling slightly.

Swiftly, he pulled the present from behind his back, and held it out to her. "Happy birthday, Hinata-hime." Her smile broadened, and she took the small box. As she untied the ribbon, the note fell, but she caught it before it touched the ground. Hinata was very agile, and very observant, it seemed. Carefully unfolding the paper from the black lacquered box, she handed the paper to him. He folded it nervously, and held it. As Hinata opened the box, he held his breath. Would she like it? Was it too much?

She made a small gasp, and removed the necklace from its place in the box. Kiba watched the expression on her face change from surprise to a quiet joy. He sighed quietly, in relief. _She likes it. _He reached out and took the box, placing it on the floor. "May I?" He asked, meaning that he would put it on for her. She nodded, blushing. Kiba held out his hand, and she placed the necklace on one of his fingers, letting it dangle there. She still held the note in her hand.

His fingers fumbled with the clasp for a moment, and then he reached around her to put it around her neck. As he tried to fasten it behind her neck, the backs of his knuckles brushed against her neck. _Soft…_Her skin was very soft, and he allowed his hands to rest where they were for a moment, even after the clasp was fastened. Those thoughts kept popping into his head about Hinata, and how she smelled, and how soft her skin was, and he beat them back. He had to focus, not turn into a puddle of goo. **_Like you can help it, Kiba. Look at her._** He did. All he could see was the back of her head, and her neck, smooth translucent skin and fine hairs.

Before he could stop himself, he ran his knuckles along her neck to where it met her shoulder. She shivered. His ears detected the sound of paper being unfolded, and he watched nervously from behind her as she read his note. He knew the words by heart.

It read:

_Dear Hinata-hime,_

_Happy birthday. I wanted to tell you how much I like you, but I can't really get myself to say it out loud. So I'm being kinda pathetic and writing it down. _

_I like how you don't have to say anything to let people know how you're feeling. I like how you smile, even when you do cover it up. I like the way you never stop trying, and how you always seem to be thinking about something. _

_Most of all, I like the look in your eyes when you look at me._

_Kiba_

When she finished reading this short but heartfelt note, she turned to him. He had been standing behind her, waiting, and very nervous. She smiled up at him, a completely different smile than any other he had ever seen on her face. It was wide, and utterly happy. She had tears in her eyes. "Hey, now, Hinata-hime, what are you crying for?" She did not answer, but wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. He felt awkward for a moment, and then put his arms around her. "Don't cry, please? I thought birthdays were supposed to be happy?"

Sniffling, she looked up at him, the tears on her face glittering in the half-light. "I am happy, Kiba-kun. That note was…wonderful. Arigato." Hinata stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. If it had been lighter out, she would have seen how very red he became. Kiba reached into his sleeve, and pulled out a long white strip of cloth. "What's that for, Kiba-kun?"

"It's a surprise. I'll have to blindfold you, but you have to promise, no peeking, which means no _Byakagun, _ok?" She nodded slowly, as if she was beginning to become suspicious. Tying the cloth over her eyes, he checked to make sure that she could not see. Satisfied that she couldn't peek, he took her hand. "Ok, now just walk beside me. I'll make sure you don't trip." They made their slow way down the street, and in about ten minutes, were in front of Ino's door. There was no noise from the house, since they had seen the two of them coming.

Before he opened the door, he looked over at her. He could tell from the way her head was positioned that she was listening intently, trying to figure out where she was. _She's so beautiful…_Kiba felt himself move slowly toward her, his hands reaching for her face. _**Oh, you're in deep, pal. You have got it BAD. **Shut up, will ya?_ Kiba's hands touched Hinata's face, and she started, then realized who it was that was holding her. "Kiba…" She said softly, but left any other thoughts unfinished. He ran his thumb over her lips, a small shiver running through her. He wanted to see her eyes. _Oh, damn you Ino. She'll just have to be not quite as surprised as you want her to be!_

His hands reached around her, pulling away the knot from the blindfold. She blinked, the light from the door momentarily dazzling her. Hinata did not look around as he thought she would. Her eyes were entirely focused on his face. Kiba felt her hands on his chest, as they took hold of handfuls of the heavy cloth of his kimono, and then when she began to pull him down to her. The strange feeling in his stomach had come back, this time with a vengeance. His breath had become shallow, and his heart was beating fast.

Hinata's breath was misting before his eyes now, entwined with his own, and he saw nothing but her eyes. Her face tilted up toward his, and their lips met. Her hands let go of his kimono, and her arms snaked upward, around his neck. Kiba's hands came to rest on Hinata's slight waist. She made a small noise like a whimper, and he pulled her closer.

Had either of them opened their eyes, they'd have seen Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Shino all staring at them through the window in the door, their mouths hanging open.

For a long moment, after the kiss ended, the two of them remained as they were, both surprised by what had just happened, but neither one sorry for it. Kiba began to grin, his insides turning to mush again. Before he could say anything about going inside, she kissed him again. He blinked in utter surprise, because this was not like the first kiss, but more forceful, and the unbidden thoughts he had had so much success in getting rid of came back to the surface, and his heart seemed as if it would pound out of his chest.

The watchers in the door all began to blush. Fiercely. Sakura looked at Ino as if to say, "Should we interrupt?" Ino's malevolent grin told her that they should, and they began whispering to the boys. On a silent count of three, they all burst through the door, yelling "Happy Birthday, Hinata-chan!" only to find no one but Kiba. He had thrust Hinata behind himself, and he was growling. From the look in his eyes, he was ready to kill someone.

"Oi, Kiba!" Naruto smirked, "You gonna keep Hinata-chan out here all night? She might catch cold. That wouldn't be a very good birthday present, now, would it?" The blond-haired young man raised an eyebrow at him.

Kiba felt Hinata's hand on his arm. He looked down at her. She looked frightened. "It's ok, Hinata. They just wanted to surprise you. Are you ok?" She nodded, but clung to him. Sighing, he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Her eyes were now much less startled. She smiled up at him. "Let's go inside. It's cold out here."

Ino's living room was decorated in white streamers, with little blue snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, as well. There was a lot of junk food, and a big cake in the middle of it all. Hinata was so surprised that she couldn't speak, it seemed.

Ino came up to Hinata and said in a low voice, "How do you like my birthday present?" At first, she seemed confused. Then, her eyes widened. Ino smiled widely. "It took forever to get him to realize that he liked you, you know. Months!" Kiba's jaw dropped. _What the hell? _Ino had been working him for months without him knowing? He sighed. "I even got Shino to help." Kiba stared at Shino, and the taller shinobi merely shrugged.

Kiba moved to go and hit Shino, but was stopped by Hinata's hand on his arm again. She looked up at him with that strangely expectant curiosity. He smiled. "You really don't want to know, Hinata-hime."

* * *

Later that night, Kiba walked Hinata home, and they stood outside for a long time, talking. It seemed that they had both been set up, in a way, but it was only because others had seen something that they had not and were tired of watching them dance circles around one another. Kiba leaned against the pillar, and Hinata leaned against him, her back against his stomach, and her head resting on his chest. Occasionally, she would twist her head up to look at him, and smile.

_I love her smile,_ he thought, looking down at her. He watched her looking up at him, her eyes bright in the moonlight, and felt a jolt in his stomach. _Oh, man, am I…in…_Hinata's hands had reached up and taken hold of his face, pulling it down, and his lips met hers once again. This must be the fifth time she kissed him tonight, but it still amazed him how soft her lips were, and how their gentle force disarmed him completely. His hands rested on her shoulders, and turned her around, never breaking from her lips. She was unbelievable…

As she pulled away from him, she smiled at him again, softly, slowly. Again, he thought, _do I love her?_ The little voice in his mind then piped up, and said in a sarcastic tone, **_Do you really _need_ to ask that question? You really are a dumbass._** That was the first smart thing that voice had said. He loved her, alright. That was something he was surprised he hadn't thought of before. He felt dizzy at this realization, and held onto Hinata for support. Her eyes looked at him questioningly.

"Hinata…"

She laid her face on his chest, closing her eyes. "Kiba?" She asked softly.

"Hinata, I—" His voice stuck in his throat. _What if she doesn't feel the same way?_ He looked down at her for a long moment, watching her for some hint of her feelings. Then, it began to snow. Just like that. White flakes floated down from the sky, falling to join those that had already covered the street. A few snowflakes drifted under the cover of the porch, coming to rest in Hinata's hair. "I…" **_Oh, just spit it out, idiot!_** "I love you, Hinata." Her head popped up, eyes wide. _Shit. Now see what you made me do?_

"Kiba…" Her eyes closed again, and she put her head on his shoulder. It was a long moment before she spoke again. He knew what she was going to say. She'd tell him that she liked him, but wasn't sure if she _loved_ him, and— "I love you, too." He blinked.

"What?"

She looked up at him, and suddenly made that awful silly face, and wiggled her fingers at his face. In a very firm and un-Hinata-like tone, she said, "I—love—you." And she stood on tiptoe, throwing her arms around his neck. _Well, so much for her shyness, eh?_ He thought as she kissed him again.

End.


End file.
